Electrical ignition apparatus for gas-engines.



No. 728,882. v PATENTED MAY 26', 1903.

w; E. DOW.

ELECTRICAL IGNITION APPARATUS FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLIOLTIOH FILED AUG. 2, 1902.

I0 IODEL.

5 H .2 I I M- AL I 65 C3 2 3 09 *0; I wu'pessea- ICUG7CO7' UNITED STATES Patented. May 26, 190a PATENT OFFICE.

WILLARD E. DO\V, OF BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 728,882, dated May 26, 1903.

Application filed August 2, 1902. Serial No. 118,033. (No model.)

To all whom. it away concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD E. Dow, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Braintree, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electrical Ignition Apparatus for Gas-Engines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

As commonly constructed gas-engines are provided with a current-interrupter for the spark-plug on or connected with the shaft of the engine and a usual high-voltage apparatus comprising an induction-coil, battery, condenser, and vibrator. I

One of the difficulties experienced in connection with the above construction, especially when used for automobiles, is that when the speed becomes exceedingly rapid the vibratoris apt to cease to work or stick, thereby short-circuiting the sparking current; and accordingly it is the purpose of my present invention to provide a construction which will prevent any ill effects from excessive speed of the engine.

The various details of myinvention will appear more fully from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which I have illustrated diagrammatically one embodiment of my inven tion.

In the drawing the figure shows my invention in diagram.

Let Aindicatea battery or any othersource of electric energy,from which the wire a leads to one end of the primary 1) of a proper induotion-coil 1, whose secondary 8 leads to the spark-plug P of the engine-cylinder d, the opposite end of the primary being connected by a wire a to a condenser C, which connects by a wire a from its opposite end with the battery A. In the old and usual construction the mechanical'interrupter operated by the engine would be interposed in the wire stick or cease to work it is obvious that it would produce a short circuit around the condenser, thereby cutting out the latter entirely and rendering the apparatus inoperative. Instead of this construction I provide a vibrator or automatic electrical interrupter B in a shunt-circuit a a, which includes the mechanical interrupter e, operated by any suitable mechanism, as a cam E, and connected thence by a wire a to the battery or wire (1 Preferably, also, I provide a shunt-circuit o around the vibrator B, so that upon turning the switch a thereof the interrupter may be cut in or out, as desired, according to the special conditions of the moment. When the engine is first started, and therefore turns slowly, the vibrator B is necessary in order to produce the proper conditions for operating the sparking or igniting apparatus for the explosion-chamber of the engine; but when the engine gets well started and increases its speed it becomes unimportant in my invention whether the vibrator works properly or not, (and, in fact, itis often desirable to short-circuit it by means of the switch ah) because there can be no short circuit of the condenser, as was formerly the case, inasmuch as the interrupter e is in the shunt-circuit a to d and there is no possibility of a short circuit between it and the condenser around the latter. The result is that the condenser-discharge is always efiective every time a spark is required for the explosion-chamberofthe engine,and the condenser will be discharged either by the vibrator B or by the interrupter e of the engine, the former being relied upon for starting the engine and the latter after the engine has gained high speed. In no case can the condenser be shortcircnited. This is of very great importance in automobile work; but I do not intend to limit my invention to this one application thereof, as it is obvious that it may be used to advantage in other situations. It will also be understood that while I have described and shown my invention diagrammatically, the parts'being separated for convenience of illustration, in practice they are mounted together in small compass.

Having fully described my invention, what- I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

sparking device operated thereby for driving 1. In an apparatus for operating a gas-envibrator being in series with each other in a gine, a source of energy, an induction-coil, a 1 shunt-circuit around said condenser, and a 1 short circuit and switch therefor around said I5 vibrator.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLARD E. DOW.

Witnesses:

WALTER E. MANNING, EDITH F. MoRmsoN.

the engine, a condenser, a mechanical interrupter, and a vibrator, said interrupter and vibrator being in series with each other in a shunt-circuit around said condenser.

2. In an apparatus for operating a gas-en- I gine, a source of energy, an induction-coil, a sparking device operated thereby for driving the engine, a condenser, a mechanical interl rupter, and a vibrator, said interrupter and 1 

